The body of Aron Sofer, the 23 year old yeshiva bochur who went missing on Friday, has been found in the Jerusalem Forest in Ein Kerem.
It has been confirmed that Sofer’s body was located by United Hatzolah volunteers who were among the many that took part in the massive search for the missing Lakewood resident.
“We were going through a completely new area that we hadn’t searched before,” Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzolah told VIN News. “This was east, towards Ein Kerem a few miles away. After about two hours of searching one of our volunteers found him near a tree and he called for help. Other volunteers came and they saw he wasn’t alive, hadn’t been alive for a while.”
Initial reports say that Sofer’s body shows no signs of violence. While Beer said that no details were being released at this time and that it was too early to say whether or not terrorism played a rule in Sofer’s death, it appears not to have been a factor.
“It is impossible to know at this time why he passed away,” said Beer. “He was found whole, on the floor, and had not been alive for some time. There was a small cliff nearby. It could be he fell, it could be he was dehydrated. It is too early to rule anything out but it looks like it was not terrorism.”
Police, Hatzolah and Zaka are all on scene at the location where Sofer’s body was found.
Sofer’s parents were brought to United Hatzolah headquarters in Romema where they were told of their son’s passing.
“He was found a long way from where he disappeared,” said Beer. “No one ever thought that this area was even a possibility.”
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed to the media that authorities were in the process of identifying the body.
Rosenfeld would not say whether there were any signs of foul play.
Three days after being reported missing in the Jerusalem Forest while hiking with a friend, the family of 23-year-old American yeshiva student Aaron Sofer said they are dissatisfied with the progress of the search, and demanded military intervention.
Despite hundreds of police officers, volunteers and the emergency response and rescue organizations ZAKA and United Hatzalah actively searching for Sofer since Saturday, no clues as to his whereabouts have surfaced as of Monday evening.
“A physically, mentally and emotionally healthy young man does not go missing for 72 hours,” said Sofer family spokesman, Dov Hirth on Monday. “The family is not satisfied with the way the search and rescue operation has been handled thus far.”
Moreover, Hirth cited the Muhammad Abu Khdeir murder in the same forest last month, allegedly by Jewish assailants, compounded by heightened tensions with Palestinians, as cause for alarm.
“It’s well known that a murder took place in that forest, and especially with the ongoing tensions with Palestinians, we feel there should be a military presence and involvement in the search for Aaron,” he said.
Sofer, who is haredi and from Lakewood, New Jersey, was last seen in the Beit Zayit area of the woods Friday morning, before he and a friend became separated while navigating a steep incline.
Concerned after not reuniting with him several hours later, the unidentified friend contacted police to file a missing person’s report, which led to the intensive manhunt, as well as Sofer’s parents flying to Israel to aid in the growing search.
While the manhunt initially generated numerous headlines, Hirth said the family is now concerned that the story has since lost traction.
“The fact of the matter is we have a young man missing for no apparent reason, and it was on page one of all the newspapers and then the coverage just stopped,” he said. “This needs to continue to be a major story.”
Police describe Sofer as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, slender, with a close-cropped red beard, wearing glasses, a white shirt, yalmuka and black trousers at the time of his disappearance.
Anyone with information that may assist in locating Sofer has been asked to call 02-5391520, or the Israel Police hotline at 100.
Less than 48 hours after being reported missing Friday evening in the Jerusalem Forest, helicopters, canines and hundreds of police officers and volunteers are scouring the area to search for 23-year-old American yeshiva student Aaron Sofer.
According to police, Sofer, who is haredi and from Lakewood, New Jersey, had been hiking in the Beit Zayit area of the woods with a friend Friday morning when they reportedly became separated while navigating a steep incline.
Concerned after not finding Sofer several hours later, the unidentified friend contacted police to file a missing person’s report, which has led to the intensive manhunt, as well as Sofer’s parents flying to Israel on Sunday to aid in the growing search.
Asked if police suspect the Torah Academy student’s disappearance may be terrorist related, national spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said “all directions are being looked into.”
“It’s not clear yet as to what has happened,” he said. “In the meantime, police have set up a command center at the foot of the forest to aid in the search.”
Emergency response and rescue organizations, ZAKA and United Hatzalah, have also joined the manhunt in the woods since Shabbat. Additionally, surrounding neighborhoods, including Ein Kerem and Bayit Vegan, are being searched.
Police describe Sofer as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, slender, with a close-cropped red beard, wearing glasses, a white shirt, yalmuka and black trousers at the time of his disappearance.
The Jerusalem Forest made international headlines last month after the badly burned corpse of Muhammad Abu Khdeir was found there following an alleged revenge murder for the three yeshiva students murdered by Hamas operatives in June.
Police have requested that anyone with information that may assist in locating Sofer call 02-5391520, or the Israel Police hotline at 100.
